The present invention relates generally to the field of passenger seating arrangements, and more particularly, to a seating arrangement including pairings of first and second laterally-adjacent seats, wherein the first and second seats are positioned at different angles relative to a longitudinal aircraft axis and the first and second seats recline to different vertical elevations such that a bed surface of the first seat in a lay flat configuration can overlap a portion of a bed surface of the second seat in a lay flat configuration to maximize seating density.
Business class seating occupies a product niche between first class premium seating where comfort and luxury is the overriding concern, and main cabin, coach seating where the number of seat occupants capable of being comfortably seated within a given area is a principal concern. In each case, regulations governing every aspect of seating design utilization must be complied with. In addition, passenger expectations must be considered and correlated with the level of seating offered in each area of the aircraft.
Lay or lie flat seating is becoming more prevalent in business class seating, where less space is available for each passenger than in first class, but more space than in coach class. For this reason, passenger density must be carefully managed in the business class area of the aircraft even as more comfort is offered to the business class passenger. Various seating arrangements have been developed for use in both first class and business class cabins that permit the seat occupant to rest in a prone or almost prone position, rather than simply reclining somewhat from the upright seat position. These arrangements include seats that are positioned at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, fore and aft staggered in relation to adjacent seats, angled in relation to adjacent seats and/or reversed in facing direction to adjacent seats, and the like.
This invention applies certain of these principles to a seating arrangement that also includes a minimal degree of overlap and vertical spacing between adjacent seats, resulting in an increase in passenger density without significantly changing the space provided to each passenger.